In Greene County, officials are debating whether Alabama's casino legislation would be a boon or a bust for a county that has come to rely upon revenue from five bingo halls to support services. In Lowndes County, officials are wondering why their small county which has two bingo facilities in White Hall have been completely left out.
Casino, lottery bill heads to key House vote
May 6, 2021
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MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) Lottery and casino legislation is headed to a key vote in the Alabama Legislature.
The Alabama House of Representatives is scheduled to debate the gambling proposal Thursday. The bill would establish a state lottery and casino sites, mostly at existing dog tracks or sites owned by the Poarch Creek Indians.
Casinos would be located at VictoryLand in Macon County, Greentrack in Greene County, Mobile County Race Course in Mobile County and the Crossing at Big Creek in Houston County. The Poarch Band of Creek Indians would also have casinos at its three locations plus the final bid for a new north Alabama site in either Jackson or DeKalb counties.
The committee voted to send the bill to the floor of the House of Representatives.
The decision came after a public hearing in which opponents said the bill picks “winners and losers” by naming the nine casino locations. And proponents said it was time to give Alabama voters the opportunity to vote on gambling for the first time in two decades. If approved by lawmakers, the measure would go before voters in November 2022.
The bill would establish a state lottery. Casinos would be located at Victory Land dog track in Macon county, Greentrack dog track in Greene County, Mobile County Race Course in Mobile County and the Crossing at Big Creek in Houston County. The Poarch Band of Creek Indians would also have casinos at its three locations plus the final bid for a new north Alabama site in either Jackson or DeKalb counties.